Malicious Intent

Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn is the second book in her Defend and Protect series. Dr. Ivy Collins is about to launch a new prosthetic line but someone is willing to commit murder to stop that from happening. US Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon is determined that Ivy won’t be the next victim. This was one of those can’t-put-it- down, edge-of-your-seat kind of books. You had to keep turning the pages to see what happened next. I loved the sweet way Gil took care of Ivy and the thread of forgiveness that ran throughout the story. I received this book from the publisher for my honest review.

To start with, suspense is always a great category to read! That automatically earns these books 3 stars, in my opinion. I think I must be the only person on Earth who doesn't rate these 2 (Unknown Threat was the first) books at 5 stars. So take these reviews (it'll be the same for both books) with a grain or two of salt. I found the characters to lack depth. I didn't find myself caring about them and would have liked to have seen them fleshed out a little more, maybe? I'm not sure how that would look, or what it would take. They just seemed shallow to me. A couple places were a little contradictory in my opinion, but that could just be the way I took the instances (I don't want to give spoilers). I had a hard time putting myself in the story. I usually can imagine everything really well, but I just couldn't in these books. Again, I think I'm the only person with these opinions, but those are my thoughts.

It's another great romantic suspense from Lynn H Blackburn. Though it's the second in the Defend and Protect series, it can be read as a stand-alone. With fast-paced action, intricate plot with twists and turns, lovable characters getting their second chance, a hoard of delightful secondary characters, and faith threaded throughout the book, this book will grab you from the beginning and keep you captivated until the end. Gil is a fantastic hero - calm, intelligent, protective, resourceful. Who won't love a Secret Service Agent who cooks gourmet meals and holds onto his first love? Ivy is a nice mix of eccentric genius and down-to-earth tenderness and loyalty. Their second chance romance is fraught with danger and reminiscence as Ivy and her family's convoluted past catches up with the present. I loved seeing the characters from the author's Dive Team Investigations series pop up in this book. Though he had a voice in the story, the villain's identity and motive were tantalizingly elusive until the end of the book. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you don't want to miss out on this book and series. I received the book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own.

This is only the second book of Lynn Blackburn's I've read, and I LOVE IT!!! (Now I'm going to have to go back and read all the others that had missed my radar. ;-D) Malicious Intent is so, SO funny, and has tasteful dashes of romance that are clean, but also don't distract from the mystery or danger elements. I really like the second chances trope she used for Gil and Ivy- that is one of my favorite styles of writing. They make the cutest couple, and yet, they're realistic. Also, we see the return of the Cherry Coke jokes, which are hilarious. Only negative element that I found is that "Cr*p" was used twice. Minor whiteout duty. I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review as part of Lynn's Launch team. The opinions and thoughts above are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.